Island



(No ModeLy 3 SfieetsSheet 1. F. WILOOMB.

- SINKER MBOHANI$M FOR KNITTING MACHINES.-

latezitedMay 12, 1896.

(N0 Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

P. WILGOMB. SINKBR MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 559,830. Patented May 12, 1896.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

1?. W-ILOOM B." SINKER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MAGHINES. No. 559.830.

Patented May 12, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FRANK IV ILCOMB, OF PAIVTUCKET, RIIODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THENARRAGANSETT KNITTING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SINKER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,830, dated May 12,1896. Application filed December24,1894. Serial No. 532,812. (Nomodel-lTo all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK TILCOMB, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pawtncket, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSinker Mechanism for Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention includes a rotary sinker-dial with a special arrangement ofpresscr-whoels adapted to either a flat or circular rib-knitting machineand in special. features hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the dial in connection with onerow of needles of a straight machine and the cam-bar thereof. Fig. 1shows the dial applied to a circular machine for rib-knitting. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the dial. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section through thedial-shield on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the sinker-cam in plan. Fig.4 is a detail view of the bracket and slides for the cam andpresser-wheel. Figs. 5, 6, and '7 are detail views. Fig. 8 is also adetail view.

Referring first to the arrangement of Fig. 1, the needles 1 are operatedby the cam-bar 2, through the jacks 3, and the thread :ris fed to themin any desired manner. The cambar is also reciprocated in any well-knownway. A bracket 4, secured to the cam-bar, carries a bearing 6 for theinclined shaft 5, having a gear 8 meshing with a toothed track 7, fixedin this instance to the machineframe. The sinker dial or carrier 8 isfixed to this shaft to rotate in a plane at right angles to the needlesmovem ent. The sinkers f) are'pivoted by their hooked upper ends to thecircular rib 10 of the plate 11, secured to the dial, and said sinkerspass through slots or kerfs of the flanges 12 and 13, of the dial to beheld and guided thereby. The sinkers when retracted lie parallel withthe axis of the dial and with the needles, as at y, Fig. 1; but as theyare carried around by the rotation of the dial they are swung forwardbetween the needles into inclined position, as at 2, Fig. 1, and thussink the yarn between the needles. This action takes place when theyarrive opposite the space between the needles, and is effected by thecam-piece ll, held against ro tation, but traveling as to the rest ofthe machine with the dial, and having inclines 15, with an intermediatestraight part 16, to allow a number of sinkers to be in advancedposition at the same time. The movement is controlled also by thecam-face 17 of the protecting-shield 18, which is supported at the upperend of shaft 5 and held against rot-ation by a bracket connection 18with the cam bar or cylinder, as in Fig. 1. This shield covers the dialand incloses the upper ends of the sinkers and protects the parts fromdust, inclosin g those parts which must be kept lubricated. Said shieldhas a depending flange extending to the slotted flange 13 of the dial.The cam-face 17 of this shield returns the sinkcrs to normal positionafter they are swung forward, and the amount of said forward movementmay be regulated by adjusting the cam-piece 1a in its stationarysupporting-bracket 20, secured to or cast with the bearing of theinclined shaft 5, said adjustment being effected by the lever 21,pivoted to the bracket 20, and havinga forked arm 22, engaging a studdepending from the cam-piece, the long arm of the lever being held by apivoted pawl 23 thereon engaging a toothed bar on the bracket 24:. Thepawl is pressed by a spring 25 to engage the bar, and the lever may befixed rigidly in any adjusted position by the clamps 26. The (23.11%piece is guided in ways 27 of the bracket 20. From this construction itwill be seen that the movement of the cam plate or bar, whether of acircular or flat machine, will cause the sin kerdial to travel along theset of needles to keep pace with the stitch-cam of the bar oppositewhich the dial is located, an d in this movement the dial will berotated by reason of the gear 6 meshing with the toothed track 7, andthus the sinkers will be brought around in succession to the relativelyfixed cam-piece ll to sink the yarn for the needles advanced by thestitch-cam.

I show the invention as used with springneedles, but do not Wish tolimit myself in this respect. *hen so used,howcver,l mount thepresser-wheel 26 centrally of the dial upon a block 27 movinginguideways of the bracket 20 and adjustable by means of the lever 20,pivoted to the:bracket and secured in any desired position in a mannersimilar to that described for the lever 21. The end of the lever 29 hasa cam'slot engaging a stud 30, on. which the pressed wheel turns, and bythis means the presser-wheel may be adjusted. I

I providea movable piece 31 in the protecting-shield to allow any of thesinkers to be removed from the dial.

It will be noticed that the traveling campiece 14 has two inclines andis thus adapted to. operate the sinkers in alike manner on each strokeof the machine, it being understood that the dial rotates first one wayand then the other, reversing with .thestroke of the machine.

In Fig. l the sinker-dial is shown as combined with a circular machine,the cylinderneedles being shown at 40, the dial-needles at etl, and theca1n-ring at 42. The sinker dial is rotated by the gear 453 on its shaftmeshing with the toothed track H on the cylinder. In this arrangementthe support for the dial'is shown at sand 6. The dial may simply rotateat one point in the style of machine in which the cam-ring is stationaryand the needle-cylinderturns, or it may travel and rotate when used withthe style of machine in which the cam-ring rotates and the cylinderremains stationary.

Referring to Fig. '7, it will be noticed as the sinkers move about thecenter 46 in the direction of the arrow they will be swung forward tothe limit of their movement when the point 17 of the cam is reached,this being the highest point of the cam from the center of rotation ofthe dial. The full amount of thread is thereby sunk and the needlesbegin to retract, and the sinkers should also be free to retractslightly, as otherwise they would advance again when they reach thesecond high point 47 and thus they would strain the yarn 011 theretracting-needles. To obviate this, a swinging cam-piece 48, Fig. 6, ispivoted at 50 to the block 49, which is adj ustable in the bracket 20 ina manner similar to the cam-piece before described. As the sinkersrotate about the center of movement in either direction they will strikethe incline of the cam-piece, shift the cam laterally, ride up to thehighest point 47, and after thus drawing the full amount of yarn theywill be free to move back gradually as the other high point 47 has beenretracted slightly by the shifting of the cam.

It will be noticed by reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 that supplementalpresser-whecls 51 and 52 are employed when the dial is used with tworows of needles for producing a rib fabric. The arrangement of needlesis shown in Fig. 1, these operating at right angles to each other, orsubstantially so. The supplemental presser-wheels operate on the beardsof one row of needles 41, while the central presser-wheel 26 operates onthe beards of the other row of needleseO. The supplementalpresser-wheels are arranged'on opposite sides of the center of the dial,and one operone way and the other acts when the dials movement isin theopposite direction, the needles being properly controlled for thisaction by suitable needle-cams in the cam. ring or bar, for instance, asin an application for United States patent of even date herewith. Thesupplemental pressenwheels are support ed byarms 53 54, the ends ofwhich are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, seated adjustably in boxes 55 of thedial-shield, said arms being held by screws 56, as in Fig. 8.

I claim 1.. In combination with a rotary sinkerdial, the sinkers carriedthereby and operating means for the sinkers, and the main andsupplementary presser-wheels adapted to operate on the two sets ofneedles of a rib-knitting machine.

2. In combination with a rotary sinkerdial, the sinkers carried thereby,the protecting-shield for the dial and sinkers, and the presser-wheeladj ustably supported thereby, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a rotary sinkerdial, the sinkers carried thereby,the main presser-wheel arranged centrally of the dial to operate on oneset of needlesand the two supplementary presser-wheels to'operate on thesecond set of needles and arranged on ates on the beards while the dialis traveling each side of the dial-center, substantially as 'presserwheel arranged centrally of the dial,

the bracket for supporting the same, the two supplementarypresser-wheels arranged on each side of the dial-center, the protectingshield for the dial and sinkers the said supplementary presser-wheelsbeing supported thereby, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a rotary dial, the sinkers carried thereby, andthe main and supplementary presser-wheels arranged substantially atright angles to each other to opcrate on the two sets of needles ofarib-knitting machine, substantially as described.

6. In combination, the rotary dial, the sinkers, and the shiftingcam-piece for operating the sinkers to sink the thread, arranged to beshifted by the contact of the sinkers, substantially as described.

7. In combination, the rotary dial, the sinkers and the shiftingcam-piece, said cam-piece being adj ustable, substantially as described.

8. In combination, the rotary dial, the sinkers, the shifting cam-piece,the carrier-block therefor and adjusting means, substantially asdescribed.

9. In combination, the rotary dial, the sinkers carried thereby, asinker-cam adapted to operate the sinkers on either rotation of thedial, automatically adjustable to present on each rotation of the dial ahigh part to operate the sinkers and then a receding 10w part Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature to allow the sinkers to rececie,substantially in presence of two Witnesses. as described.

10. In combination the dial arranged to ro- FRANK \VILCOIVLB. 5 tateeither way, the sinkers and the shifting itnessesz cam-piece foroperating the sinkers to sink GEORGE O. EVERETT,

the thread. DANIEL MCNIVEN.

